Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, de Smet Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
759,370 games: White 47.1% / Draw 4.2% / Black 48.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 544,163544K | ||
| 111,517112K | ||
| 59,05259K | ||
| 18,24418K | ||
| 13,43313K | ||
| 3,6443,644 | ||
| 2,1652,165 | ||
| 1,8411,841 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.99 White is better
Best play: 4. exd6 Bxd6 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. Nc3 Qe7 7. h3 Bf5 8. Bg5 O-O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 50% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 269K | |
| 1400–1799 | 464K | |
| 1800–2199 | 465K | |
| 2200 and up | 33K | |
| Masters, over the board | 2 |
Master games
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, de Smet Gambit (ECO B00, Semi-Open Games) is a gambit in the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, reached after 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 d6 (3 moves).
In 759,370 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.1%, Black 48.8% and 4.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. exd6, in 72% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, de Smet Gambit
4. Nf3 scores best for White: 54.2%, with White winning 51.6% and Black 43.3% of 112K games. The most played answer, 4. exd6, scores lowest: 47.3% in 544K games. Stockfish's first choice is 4. exd6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, de Smet Gambit is played more than twice as often as in 2016: 0.044% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.017%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.017% | 6,208 |
| 2017 | 0.018% | 9,912 |
| 2018 | 0.02% | 15,660 |
| 2019 | 0.021% | 26,369 |
| 2020 | 0.019% | 55,007 |
| 2021 | 0.019% | 75,977 |
| 2022 | 0.024% | 89,679 |
| 2023 | 0.032% | 119,630 |
| 2024 | 0.041% | 145,285 |
| 2025 | 0.044% | 153,002 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.044% | 47,956 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, de Smet Gambit (B00)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/nimzowitsch-defense-kennedy-variation-de-smet-gambit